Unexpected and
insidious, the earworm slinks its way into
the brain and refuses to leave. Symptoms vary, although high levels of
annoyance and frustration are common. There are numerous potential treatments,
but no cure.

"
Earworm" is the term coined by University of Cincinnati marketing
professor James Kellaris for the usually unwelcome songs that get stuck
in people's heads.

Kellaris has been studying earworms since 2000 and has heard
from people the world over. In 2002 he asked 500 students, faculty and staff on campus
about the type, frequency and duration of earworms, and possible
causes and cures.The most annoying fit into the "other" category meaning
the majority chose a unique song of their own as the
most probable earworm. Kellaris concludes that stuck songs are
highly idiosyncratic.

The study, presented at conferences of the Society for Consumer
Psychology in 2001 and 2003, showed:
-Women report more irritation and frustration as a result of earworms.
-People who are constantly exposed to music suffer them more frequently.
-There may be a connection between earworms and a person's level of neurosis.
"
People with higher neuroticism scores tend to react to the onset of an
earworm by saying 'Oh no, here it goes again, I wonder how long this is
going to last,'" Kellaris said. "That fretting about it, I think,
exacerbates it."

For marketers, earworms can be a "double-edged sword."They need to make sure the songs trigger the right kind of emotions